Valves of Vengence
by Kaitlin And Kim
Summary: sequel to Edwin Mellophone Hands. what happens when a horror takes away the thing you love most, and then begins to destroy what you have left?::CHAPTER 11 IS UP 4.15.04::
1. Prologue

Valves of Vengeance Chapter one- Prelude By Kim  
  
(A/N: Oh what driver education movies can do to you.)  
  
There had been a sudden jerk, a jolt of split second fear. There had been no warning, and no one to blame afterwards. The tree was innocent, as far as anyone could tell, unless trees can just jump out in front of a speeding bus, the tree would be the prime suspect. No evidence was left, except the blood and broken bodies of the innocents. A scene fit for a driver education video. A scene fit for the most morbid of minds, fit for the most horrible of nightmares and a sudden flashback of all that one could hold dear.  
A trombone player, a senior in his last year of marching band lay dead, his face nonexistent. Scraped against the shattered window and asphalt was the skin of what should be his nose, a single eye was still hanging by a thread upon his vile face. His jaw hung low too, attached only on the left side, blood and fluids dripped from it and seeped onto his uniform. The three freshmen flutes that sat adjacent from him were slumped over on top of the senior trombone. Their blood mixed with his forming a pool of sudden loss of youth and innocence. One flute however was cushioned by the other two, the other two who had crumpled down before him. He however was in shock; his arm bone stuck out of his arm, his leg was twisted in a very unnatural way.  
The band director, Mrs. Herrick, was not inside the bus at all. She lay on the brink of darkness eleven feet from the front of the bus. Through the throbbing pain, she stared upward toward the stars, not even comprehending that she was staring at the sky. All she knew was that she was going to die. Her students, her friends, they were going to die. She felt that warmth of her blood spilling from her mouth, she tasted it too. However, she could not understand that she was bleeding, nor could she understand that she was literally drowning in her own blood. Then silently, the world got very cold and very dark. until the last speck of celestial light had vanished. Then the man with the mangled fingers vanished once more.  
  
"I'll ask you again sir, is that your wife?" The coroner asked.  
  
Sam could not comply, he could not comprehend, nor could he reply.  
  
Was the coroner too thick to realize that this man's pain was a dead giveaway? Did every amount of common sense get sucked out of him? Was he being forced to follow procedure, even if he fully understood the answer? "Is this Lorelei Herrick, you're wife?"  
  
Not those words! Oh the pain and ironic agony of hearing his lively wife's name said by the examiner of death! Sam felt his heart spiral downward infinitely. and eternally. 


	2. lord hear our prayer

Alright this one is by Kaitlin and I guess some of you guys were kind of grossed out by the first chapter…understandable I was rather freaked myself but it was semi-necessary I mean it was rather good writing for a horror story which this is…it was rather horrific wasn't it? Seeing as how this was a horror story the horrific parts are important thereby making that whole scene in the last chapter necessary…just a bit stronger then might have been needed…anyways for all of you with weak stomach, hearts, whatever we apologize for any discomfort you may have had…

**Chapter 2 Lord hear our prayer**

by Kaitlin

Lorelei lay on the ground, her blood pooling around her. All around her were the sounds of the injured, crying out in pain, crying out for assistance. Then there was the silence of the dead, the voices that should have been calling, should have been crying, just so she could know they were alive. Her band…Sam's band… destroyed, if not in body, in spirit. 

Our Father… 

Lorelei stared up at the sky, her body beginning to numb, to shut down in response to the pain. The night was so clear, so beautiful. There were no clouds, just the stars and the moon. The moon was full, glowing golden yellow, the entire accident bathed in a soft yellow light.

_…who art in heaven…_

Sirens sounded off in the distance slowly growing louder, coming closer. Tires screeched to halt somewhere off to Lorelei's left, a harsh noise. Voices called out "Is anyone alright?" there was one reply, Lorelei's breath hitched. 

"It's just my arm…" Sam…

_…hallowed be thy name…_

Lorelei thanked God; he had survived with most likely the least amount of damage out of the entire band. "What the hell happened?" the medic said in a shocked whisper.

_…thy kingdom come…_

"The bus… it hit a tree…we were all thrown out…" Sam's voice was cracked and filled with sorrow, "we were going too fast…"

_…thy will be done…_

Shouts resounded through the crash site, medics calling for help with people, firemen calling for support in putting out the burning bus. "How many teenagers lost their lives on that bus? On this night?" Lorelei's mind quaked at the thought; she was responsible for the children…

_…on earth as it is in heaven…_

Her eyes filled with tears anew. She was responsible, she alone was their band director, and the parents trusted her to protect them from harm. Lorelei let out a strangled cry that shook her soul.

_…give us this day our daily bread…_

 A man heard her cry, "Oh my God… There's another woman over here!" his voice interrupted Lorelei's thoughts and brought her back to her reality that was pain. "Hurry she's barely hanging on!" he knelt down next to her, asking her if she could speak and where it hurt.

_…and forgive us our debts…_

A bright light was brought over to where Lorelei lay, in a pool of her own blood, soaking through what was left of her clothes. With the light, the stars faded to nothingness in the vast blackness of the sky.

_…as we forgive our debtors…_

Further away, an officer was questioning Sam about the accident. "And you do not know what happened?" Sam looked towards the shouting medics and he froze. "Sir?" Sam forgot the officer as he rushed over to where his wife lay.

_…and lead us not into temptation…_

Sam tried to get to her, he struggled with all he had, but the officer pulled him back "is that your wife sir?" Sam gaped at the man; he could not understand what he was talking about. That broken woman on the ground could not be his beautiful wife.

_…but deliver us from evil…_

"Is that Lorelei Herrick, your wife?" Sam could not bring himself to reply, if he said it, if he admitted that his love was dying right before his eyes, it would be true. If that came true he would never regain the perfect happiness he had had until this night. 

_…for thine is the kingdom…_

Lorelei gasped, the men or women, she could not tell anymore, were trying to save her. They gathered around her trying everything. Sam watched as his second love died…at least he had not had to watch Rachel die…Suddenly Lorelei threw her head back her eyes grew wide, all the stars grew in to one large light filling her vision.

_…and the power and the glory forever…_

"Sir!" The annoying officer could not leave Sam alone. Sam whirled on the man, eyes blazing with sorrow, and hatred for the world that had taken everything he had ever wanted from him. The officer cowered away, and scribbled something on his clipboard, what it was Sam neither knew nor cared to know. Lorelei cried out, a scream that shook Sam, then the kind blackness came to take both away, and they would be blessed if it was forever.

_…Amen._

Alright people…I know that was basically a recap of the first chapter, in a bit more detail, but like I had other plans that I just couldn't get to…I started it out how I meant to but didn't get there. Sorry

And all that stuff in italics was the lords prayer, it's a Catholic prayer and I hope no one is offended, and if its like wrong, er… I picked the one that seemed to be the most common of all the sites that I visited.

So review for us and we'll love you forever.


	3. Posessions

VALVES OF VENGEANCE 

CHAPTER 3- POSSESSIONS

By Kim

Call in three months time and I'll be fine I know  
Well maybe not that fine but I'll survive anyhow  
I won't recall the names and places of each sad occasion  
But that's no consolation  
Here and now  
  
So what happens now (another suitcase in another hall)   
So what happens now (take your picture off another wall)   
Where am I going to (you'll get by you always have before)   
Where am I going to?

*Another Suitcase in another Hall ~ Evita

~*~One month after the accident~*~

        "Okay, five minute break!" Anthony announced from atop his drum major podium. The band gave their usual joyful shouts as they all rushed to the front sideline to grab their water jugs. Anthony sat down on the podium, rubbing his right hand over his left stump on his wrist, letting the memories seep back into his mind like a cool, tickling, trickling liquid of poison. 

        "OH GOD MY HAND! I CAN'T FEEL IT! IT'S STUCK UNDER THE SEAT! PLEASE! MY HAND" The bus driver ran to Anthony's side and took out a very sharp looking blade, held in a mangled hand that looked like it had metal stuck in it, all that was visible by the light of the silver moon. "This will be all mine now." He said coolly, and as abrupt as a flash of lightening, a numbing, blinding pain seared all over Anthony's body, he screamed the loudest he had ever screamed before. The bus driver then ran off into the distance, leaving Anthony sick, sad, and shocked.

        "Tony! It's been five minutes!" Mr. Herrick yelled from below the podium. Anthony shook his head and shifted his transfixed gaze to his remaining thirty band members. "SET IN CHART 34!" he bellowed and watched as the band ran to their set. The guard gracefully ran, grabbing their swing flags tightly.

        Anthony sat in the band room waiting for his band director to finish stacking the paperwork to the next performance. "Tony, come in please." Anthony entered his band director's office, however something was not right. He had been shredding numerous checks and monetary donations from the band fund. "Yes sir…" he nodded, and sat on the swivel chair across from Mr. Herrick, who looked at him with a stare of utter satisfaction. "How does it feel to have only one hand? I'm sure you find it quite hard to cope with your new situation." Mr. Herrick folded his hands and placed them on the desk, almost as if he was bragging about how he had two. Anthony stared down at his stump as it had became a habit to whenever someone would mention his non existent hand. "Anyways, I know of a man who can help you. He played the mellophone a long time ago and he is now a counselor for musicians with amputated parts. You can find him here right now, he's in the instrument storage room taking a nap. Just ask for Edwin… he'll know what to do with you."  Anthony was a bit weirded out by the entire conversation, and so he left the office and went into the instrument storage room, however there was no one there. 

        Sam suddenly began to have convulsions in his office, he trembled and shook, his eyes rolled back into his head. "No, no Edwin- NO MORE OF THIS!" then he suddenly lay still on his desk panting… not remembering a single thing from the last ten minutes. He looked over and saw the checks and band money shredded inside the shredder machine. He then began to panic. Edwin was back.


	4. Empty

Woo chapter 4!!!

Chapter 4: Empty…

"…NO MORE OF THIS!" the cry echoed through the empty band room, Anthony turned to look at the wall separating the office and the storage room. Sighing he left the storage room, Mr. Herrick hadn't been the same since the accident, none of them had but Mr. Herrick had it the worst.

         Lorelei Herrick had been the band director at Fake City High School for the last 2 years, Sam, her husband, had been her co-director and it was obvious the band was meant for great things while they taught at the high school. The band had been huge before the accident; everyone wanted to be a part of the schools best performing art. After the accident, the band's numbers shrank, many students couldn't handle remembering everything, many students were pulled out of band by their parents, many students moved, and many were dead. And so, the band was no longer a band in any way shape or form. The numbers had dwindled from 200 down to 30. Sam tried to direct the band, but his passion was gone, gone like his wife's body.

*~*Flash back*~*

The church was deathly silent, how fitting, Sam stood, watching as the coffin bearers slowly brought in the coffin. Sam watched from the first pew, tears streamed down his cheeks, '…the worst thing in the world, is to be shut in a small space, like a box or closet…' Lorelei's voice echoed through Sam's mind, 'I'm sorry; your worst fear is your fate. I'm sorry…' Sam couldn't bear to think of his wife shut in a box for the rest of time. He had let Lorelei's family take care of planning the funeral, Lorelei's mother, after seeing her daughters body, had opted for a closed casket funeral. 

The coffin bearers finally reached the front of the church and set the casket down, the preacher rose to say the prayers for Lorelei. "God's love and power extend over all creation. Every life, including our own, is precious to God…" the preacher began the prayers, Sam half listened, the other half was busy reliving all the times he had had with his wife.

         The day he had told Lorelei she was section leader, the day he had asked her out for the first time, they day he had proposed to her, the day they were married, the day they were hired to work at their old high school…the list went on and on. 

         Sam looked up; the preacher was beckoning to him to come to the pulpit. Sam slowly stood up, unsure about what he was going to say, his wife had been everything, she had been perfect, she completed him, she was everything he wasn't. On shaky legs he approached the pulpit, he cleared his throat and tried to begin, "L...Lorelei, was my wife, she was everything I needed, I miss her so much…" Sam broke down into loud sobs, the entire church shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed for the sobbing man. Sam tried to go on but could not; the preacher gently said that if he was done he might go back to his seat. As Sam walked past the coffin, he turned, this was the last time he would ever see her, and he slowly walked towards it. The church shuffled about, unclear on what Sam was about to do. As he reached the coffin, Sam placed his hands on the lid and lifted. 

Empty.

The coffin was empty.

*~*End flash back*~*

Before he left, Anthony decided he ought to check on Mr. Herrick. He found the man slumped over his desk, there was a wound on the man's head and blood trickled slowly, soaking all the papers on the desk. In the shredder looked to be thousands of dollars, checks and bills, Anthony realized that Mr. Herrick had shredded all the bands money. Shocked, he crept backwards and ran to the band phone to dial 911.

"Hello? I found m…!" A hand snatched the phone away from Anthony, a hand that had what looked like bits of metal imbedded in it…

All right please review


	5. Caged

**VALVES OF VENGEANCE  
CHAPTER 5- CAGED**

**By Kim**

          Anthony jumped and turned to see the person who had jerked the phone away. The vision scarred his mind. The bus driver! Edwin smiled at him and hung up the phone. "What's the matter dear boy? Is there something wrong with my hands? I see that there is something wrong with one of yours. Do you miss it? He pulled off a black glove from his left hand. Anthony's stomach fell one thousand feet and a cold feeling of apprehensiveness rushed to his toes. "Yes, it's yours. I finally found the perfect donor. Now my boy, I need the right." Anthony jerked away from the monster in front of him. Edwin swung his right arm around, striking Anthony in the head with his "bell" hand. Anthony shook his head, his vision became blurred. As it was his instinct, he struck back, but to no avail. Even his drum major muscles were no use against Edwin's strong frame. 

          Edwin got him in the stomach causing him to gasp and fall to the dirty spit-ridden floor. He groaned and looked up at the monster who glared down at him. He felt blood trickle down from his forehead, clotting over his eyebrow. Edwin seized him by the collar of his shirt, and dragged him to the director's podium. Edwin kneeled down, and lifted the podium, revealing a trap door. Anthony's mind whirled. "The living hell is this?" he thought. Edwin opened the door and tossed Anthony down into the hole, where he landed hard, knocking the wind out of him. Edwin climbed down the ladder of the hole and lowered the podium back on top. 

          Anthony weakly rose to his feet, gazing into the void of darkness in front of him. Edwin reached the bottom of the pit, and grasped firmly onto the back of Anthony's neck. "Walk forward, make any sound, and I will kill you." Anthony walked forward, not minding Edwin's warning. It wouldn't matter if he made sound or not, he was going to die anyway. The two turned a right corner where a dim light was hanging from the ceiling. The contents of the cave floor were dirt and garbage food containers. They passed a closed, locked door where a weary sound was emitted. Anthony shivered. It was the sound of someone crying...

          "KEEP MOVING!" Edwin shouted. Anthony resisted, if only he could figure out who was crying and why. "MOVE!" Edwin shoved Anthony forward then down a dark staircase where he almost tripped several times. At the end of the staircase was a dark, dank, foul smelling room. The cemented walls and floor had numerous stains from human secretions on them. Against the easternmost wall were shackles in which Anthony was bonded with. Edwin then with a smile of satisfaction left the room. Anthony gave up his hope of coming out alive. He looked around the room in a lost attempt to find a way out. He looked to his left and gasped. There were shelves with jars… and in those jars were human hands. They looked perfectly preserved… One had an adult hand with a conductor's baton; one had a hand with French-tipped fingernails. There was also a broken jar on the floor, without a hand. However on the ground was the shattered fiberglass of the cane of a mace baton. 

          "Don't cry my sweet; I have given you back the greatest gift of all." Anthony's ears perked up. Edwin's screechy voice and the sobbing of a woman could be heard echoing off the cave walls. "Bow to me, proclaim me a God. I have recreated you…"

Anthony became intrigued despite his situation. Suddenly, he heard the band room doors burst open above him. Heavy footsteps pounded, making loose dust fall from the ceiling of Anthony's cell. "I can assure you that there is nothing wrong here sirs. I left for ten minutes then came back. One of my students must have been playing around with the phone. I am sorry for this false alarm." It was Mr. Herrick's voice! "Oh this cut on my head? I accidentally fell out of bed last night. My wife's a sleep-kicker." Anthony was puzzled. Mr. Herrick didn't have a wife, she was dead. Was it possible? Did Edwin possess Sam?

          Edwin reemerged from the staircase and into the cell carrying a tray containing a hypodermic needle, a cleaver, thread, and sewing needle. 

          "Now Anthony, you shall make yourself useful to me once more, just as your director has done." He held up the syringe. 

          Anthony screamed. 


	6. People of the Past

A/n sorry about the long wait, I had no idea how to follow up the last chapter.

Chapter 6: People of the Past

A grizzled old man stared out the window. He had been there for hours, just watching. This wouldn't normally be unusual, but his window faced the building next door, all that was visible from it was the brick wall of the next building. Gently, the nurse tapped on the door. The man started, and looked up. "It's time for your medicine Mr. Holst." She showed him the bottles she held; he smiled slowly, a sad small smile. She knew what he was thinking,

How had it come to this?

"Did I ever tell you that I was once a lieutenant?" Holst pulled a paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. It was a black and white photo, a young man stood there, grinning out at them, "I used to be young, and carefree, until the cases I saw made me old, my hair was gray by the time I was 35, I had seen so many horrors. I retired, or rather, was forced into retirement, 10 years ago, after my last case, they never caught they guy. Some kids killed him, but when they went in for the body, it was gone." The nurse, Tina, stood there, she was unsure how to reply, so she drifted back to the default all the nurses were taught, "Well that's nice," she winced inwardly, it sounded so empty, especially when she thought about what this man had gone through, "Now lets take your pills."

Holst sighed, and quietly accepted his medicine. "Is there anything I can get you?" the nurse pasted that empty smile on her face, "A magazine? Or maybe a newspaper?"

"A newspaper please." She walked out, returning a moment later with a copy of the Fake City Times, "When you're done with this try to get some rest ok?" Another default sentence. Old hands met perfectly manicured hands as Holst took the newspaper. Tina, his nurse, walked out of the room, and Holst glanced at the headline: 

Local Boy Missing, Band Director Last to See Him.

Anthony Denbrough has been missing since Tuesday the 23rd; he was last seen by his band director, Sam Herrick, who just recently lost his wife and half of his band in a freak accident…

Holst stopped reading here, exhausted, Sam Herrick, where had he heard that name? It came back slowly, he remembered while the nurses were trying to stuff more pills into him. His shock caused him to knock over several of his pill bottles causing the nurse to scold him.

*~*

_He had received the invitation in the mail, _

_Mr. and Mrs. James H. Rofman_

_and_

_Mr. and Mrs. Edward F. Herrick_

_Invite you to share in the joy_

_Of the Mass uniting their children_

_Lorelei Rachelle_

_And_

_Samuel Richard_

_In the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony_

_On Saturday, the 13th of June_

_Two thousand and five_

_At ten o'clock_

_St Denis _

_Catholic Church_

_Fake City, California_

_Of course he had accepted, those two kids had defeated Edwin._

_The wedding was perfect, the groom was handsome, the bride was stunning, and the church was so full some people were forced to stand in the back. He had danced with Lorelei at the reception, she was graceful and kind as always, it reminded him of his wife before she found out that she had breast cancer. He had hoped Lorelei would never have to deal with such hard things._

*~*

'…just recently lost his wife…' Lorelei dead? A child missing?

Edwin was back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Anthony strained against his shackles, screaming again, this time his cry was answered, a woman shrieked in another room. Edwin jerked up, "Look what you've done you stupid boy, you upset her! She is so hard to calm down in this state, the only other time she gets this bad is when you can hear the wind ensemble playing Ghost Train above us." Muttering Edwin left the room, his footsteps echoed down the hallway as Anthony stared after him in shocked silence.

"Please, my sweet, calm down, its just another pesky child," Edwin talked lovingly to the woman. He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him, the hazel eyes pierced into Edwin's empty black orbs, and she strained against her shackles, "You wish to be free? Not until you swear to be mine and never go back to the foolish director, Sam" The woman jerked her head free, and spit at Edwin, "Bitch! I saved you! I alone had the abilities to recreate your body, and this is the thanks I get?" Edwin turned and walked to the door, but before he left he turned back "Do you remember Anthony? Anthony Denbrough? I believe he was the drum major for your band, well I guess your husband shall soon have to find a new drum major. Anthony is going to join the rest of the band."

The hazel eyes widened, "No!" the word was forced out in a hoarse voice, "Please, let him go, I…I'll do what ever you want. I swear it." She hung her head, "just let Anthony go." 

Edwin smiled, it was full of evil, and full of triumph, He had won. He had her, not Sam, him. Lorelei was all his.

Ok so I updated, again sorry for the long interlude. So now that you've gotten what you want, perhaps you could review?


	7. The Live Horn Society

**Chapter 7: The Live Horn Society**

**By: Kim**

            Five dark, cloaked figures stirred in front of a small, picket-fenced house. The flowers in the front (As the said figures could see in the moonlight) were withered and frail. The moon reflected off of the dirty car in the driveway underneath a willow tree. One of the figures took out a shoddy piece of paper, read it, then put it back into his cloak. He read the address on the curb, and walked up the cement walkway. The others followed in silent procession. 

            ~~~~~~*~~~~~

            Sam stirred in his sleep, mumbled a few nonsense words, then turned onto his back and snored. He was a very disruptive sleeper, much to Lorelei's loathing. He shivered as a draft of cold air rustled the drapes of the balcony door. Being so careless in his state he had left it wide open. The sudden coldness stung at his face, forcing him to awaken from his nightmares. 

            The very tired man sat on the edge of his bed, bare feet on the hardwood floor. He slowly rose to shut the door. As he walked, the floor creaked, causing him to be weary. He didn't want to awaken his mother on the floor below him. Same tiptoed to the door and shut it quietly and got back into bed, wrapping himself in his electric blanket. But before he could shut his eyes, he saw a silhouette of a… thing against the balcony window. He pulled the blankets over his face, as if not being able to see the being would protect him from any further communication. 

            Suddenly, four more figures joined the first and they began to pound the window and door with their fists. Sam jolted out of bed in fright, grabbing his high school mace baton by his bed. He couldn't have them wake his mother. 

            He walked to the window, scared as ever, and opened the door. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" he screamed at the hooded figures. "We mean no harm Mr. Herrick, for we are promoters of peace. Please put down your weapon and invite us inside." One of the figures stepped towards him, but Sam was relentless. He backed up towards his room, gripping the baton. The figure sighed, glanced about, and pulled off his hood. Sam looked startled. "Eric?" The boy under the cloak nodded. Eric was a senior mellophone player in the band. "Sir, me and the rest of the horn section know something's up, and you're going to tell us. Why is this curse upon us?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "You shouldn't be here. It's a school night." Sam said wearily, pouring coffee into his "Get a life...A Musical life (nothing else matters)" mug. Eric munched on an Oreo. "This is the night when we meet. No one suspects a secret society to meet on a Wednesday night at one in the morning." The other horns nodded approvingly. Sam hoped his mother would not wake up. What would she say if she saw him and five others sitting at the table at one thirty? 

            "Well, what do you want with me?" Sam asked, sipping his coffee. "Anthony's missing. Half the band's dead. There's something up, and if I can remember my research correctly, _you_ have something to do with it." There was a tinge of rancor in Eric's voice.  Sam was shocked. Was Eric accusing him of all this? He sipped his coffee and thought of how to answer, then it came to him. He would just have to tell the truth. 

"In 2002, my senior year, the same sad things began happening at Fake City high. All murders in the band. Me and…" he stopped. "Me and Lorelei." He said softly. "We found the murderer and killed him, but- He escaped." Sam paused. "He's back."

            "Can't we call the police or something?" Frank, a freshman horn asked. "They officially closed the case down after the body went missing. The last to work on the case was Lt. Holst. He tried to keep the case open, however the department declared him senile. I don't know what became of him… he was such a nice man."

            The horns sat silently, scared. "So, unless we find this… killer, we're doomed to be killed by some maniac who wants to kill band members? Why? I'm not going to let this happen. Maybe you can. But I won't. You're to blame! You let the killer walk free! YOU KILLED EVERYONE! YOU KILLED THE BAND, ANTHONY, AND YOUR WIFE!"

            The horns gasped at Eric's bold remark. Sam shook with rage. He wanted to hit him. Tear him limb from limb. Eric didn't know what was down there. Down in the hole in the locker. Down in the darkness where the monster still lives. 


	8. The Missing Mellophone

A/n BLAH!

Chapter 8

Edwin slid silently down the hallway, his once shuffling step was masked; he wanted to surprise Anthony, to scare him so bad he would never tell anyone what he had seen.  He had left Anthony alone for quite some time now, days it must've seemed to Anthony, all alone. The boy had fallen into a nervous sleep, his head thrashed about, and he muttered under his breath. "no….my hand….uhh….stop…stop!"  Edwin stood in front of the boy, a proud smile on his face; he had caused this, this terror. Edwin reached out one metal encrusted hand and ran it gently over the stump where Anthony's left hand had been. "NO DON'T! AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" the cry sprang from Anthony's throat, his body jerked against his bonds, his eyes snapped open, pure terror. Edwin's smile grew and he could not refrain from giggling, how had he, a lowly sophomore mellophone,  managed to cause so much terror. Edwin eyed the sweat slipping ever so slowly down Anthony's forehead, he was so scared, 'he doesn't know I'm going to let him go, silly boy, I think I'll leave him here just a bit longer…'  A loud cry broke through the stale air, Edwin whirled around to face Anthony, the boy was still shivering, the cry had not come from him. 'Damn her! How did she know?' Edwin sighed and began to speak.

Anthony stared up at Edwin, sounds were coming from the horrible man, but Anthony could not comprehend. The man with the unnaturally high voice continued to make noises and gesture with his hands, he seemed to become frustrated and walked back and forth in front of Anthony. 'He reminds me of Michael Jackson…' Anthony smiled, it was a small smile, barely even there, but Edwin saw it.

"DAMMIT YOU STUPID BOY!" Even though he had promised not to hurt the boy any more, Edwin could not stop himself from reaching out a hand and smacking the boy in the face. Anthony stared back at Edwin, shocked, a line of blood slipping down his cheek from the 5 tiny marks where Edwin's metal nails had collided. But the smile slowly slipped back, Edwin was surprised, but more importantly his ego was bruised. 

There was no easy way to set the boy free, but then he remembered the anesthesia for when he wanted to remove hands from live beings. 'Enough to knock the boy out for the rest of the night, a lovely surprise for his director in the morning.' Edwin grinned, and felt along the top shelf for his needle. He didn't bother to sterilize it, he didn't like the boy anyways. His back to the boy he filled the hypodermic needle, arranged his face in a suitable mad scientist expression and turned around.

Anthony jerked back involuntarily, it reminded him of the novel Frankenstein, a creature so horrible you cannot stand to look at it. Then his eyes refocused, away from the mans face, on the needle. 'Shit, what's he going to do to me? He's going to take my other hand, God no!' Anthony began to struggle violently, the shackles cut into his wrists. He didn't feel it when the needle sunk into his arm. Slowly the world dimmed, fading around the edges, before it went black.

*~*~*~*~*

Sam entered the band room, his stride slow and heavy. He had stayed up late into the night thinking about what Eric had said. 'Did I really cause all those deaths? Did I kill the band? Anthony? Lorelei?' He crossed the entire band room and slid into his office. I put down his brown leather briefcase and went into the band/choir library. He grabbed the copies of a piece he wanted the Wind Ensemble to play, The Missing Mellophone. So far as he knew, this piece had never been played; by anyone. It was a haunting and tortured, the kind that leaves you emotionally drained at the end of the piece. Sam left his office and walked towards his podium, studying the score. His foot hit something soft and Sam started to fall. The score fluttered down to the ground as Sam reached out to grab a stand to keep from hitting the ground. As his hands clutched at a stand, his eyes connected with the soft thing on the floor.

Sam's blue eyes widened before closing in pain, a slight breeze slid through the room, the pages on the score turned, and the haunting notes of the mellophone solo rose before Sam, and Anthony's lifeless body.


	9. Retrospect

**VALVES OF VENGEANCE**

**CHAPTER 9: Retrospect**

**By, Kim.**

        Edwin peevishly threw himself onto his lounge chair, combing Anthony's old left hand through his black, greasy hair. Although the hand was paralyzed (He had yet to master how to connect the nerves) he was elated to know that he looked normal. The girl to his right, lying on the bed trembled, staring at his… hand. Edwin could feel her stare. It was the same stare he had received from everybody else. The stare didn't pierce him like a needle; it hit him as if someone was shoving a twelve-inch-thick rod into his very being. It made him feel listless, yet somehow motivated to complete the cause of his unwanted existence. 

        "I was beautiful once you know." He said, deep rancor floating from his words in the form of his exhaling breath. 

"I was a stud. Yet somehow people can mix the unfamiliar, twist their thoughts into dark, hateful perceiving. Somehow, the ugly and the insane go hand in hand."

        He poured himself a glass of absinthe and drank it down slowly, savoring its taste. 

"Oh yes, Deemed insane, insane… A menace to society."

Lorelei shivered when she heard his words. All Edwin did was sit, drink, and talk. Every conversation he attempted to start was killed by her. She could not speak back to him. But now, it was covenanted. He released Anthony…

        "Yes, I see." She choked. 

Edwin shook his head, throwing his plastic cup at her. "No, you don't see! You don't know. You don't know of the cruelty of others like me!" In a rage he kicked over his chair, knocking his books filled with mellophone music to the floor. "You were never ugly. Tell me this girl, have you ever been committed?" 

        Lorelei was shocked, unable to move. He frightened her stiff.

        "WELL?!"

        She shook her head no, and whispered "No sir."

Edwin smirked. "Yes, after the accident, I was still forced to go to school by my strict, bastard parents. I was spit on, kicked, beat up… All because they thought I was a freak. They thought I actually WANTED to have my instrument PERMANTELY WELDED ONTO MY BODY! Oh, but my parents never listened! They said I needed to grow up. Ha! If only they hadn't caught me. I invited my girlfriend over after the accident. She took one look at me, and attacked me. She grabbed a knife, deemed me a monster, and tried to take a stab at me. Haha, too bad I got her first. My parents walked in right as I was stabbing her for the fifty-sixth time. Then, I was locked up. They wouldn't even let me testify. However, I was too clever for them as well. I ran! Every night I would work on making my tunnels and passages, where I could live a lonely, safe, existence."

        Lorelei didn't know what quite to say to him.

"I'm mad. I'm so fucking off the wall, I'm surrounded by nothingness."  He cackled. "Oh yes, my girlfriend by the way was the aunt of one of your old classmates. Oh yes, Rudy… I remember him. Short little guy… He and Spills didn't see it coming."

         "You sick bastard!" Lorelei gasped. 

"Yes I am… And always be." 

*~*~*

   
Eric and the rest of the live horns sat in a circle doing their homework. AP Calculus, Chemistry, you name it, they were doing it. Suddenly their attention directly shifted from their studies to the two feet by two feet grate in the center of the quad. They heard a woman, screaming something unintelligible. 

"The monster." They said in unison. 


	10. Terror on the Field

Valves of Vengeance

Chapter 10 Terror on the Field and the Ghost of Doctor Beat

by Kaitlin

Holst labored off of the bus, he fumbled into his pocket for a bottle. Finally his hand grasped the bottle. It took a few tries before he could actually get it off. _Damn safety tops..._ He tipped the bottle and 2 pills fell into his hand. Popping them into his mouth he glanced around, trying to decide if he had in fact gotten off at the right stop. He was less than a block from the high school, his high school. He set off intent on stopping Edwin for good.

*~*

Once the quad had been covered in grass, but through the years, the marching band had held their music rehearsals on it, the grass slowly died as it was trampled by many feet each day. Eric glanced down at the grate, it was a grate all the french horn players were familiar with, they stood behind it during rehearsal. It was the cursed grate that filled with slimy things when it rained, it swallowed mouth pieces and valve caps, yes, Eric knew this grate very well. 

The rest of the Horn Society gathered around the grate, Eric bent down to remove the cover, he flinched as his hands came in contact with the metal. Chills ran up his arms, ignoring the feelings he had, he closed his hands around the bars of the grate and lifted. 

Eric sat back with a cry, something large and black flapped clumsily out of the hole. The horns scattered. The crow flapped off, cawing as it went. Sighing, Eric stood up and peered into the now empty darkness. "how the hell did that crow get in there?" Eric looked up, all the horns were staring at him, he was the unofficial leader, no matter how much he didn't want it.

"I don't know..." Once again he sighed, he hated disappointing them, not having the answer bothered him, the crow wasn't in there earlier, that he knew. 

"Are you guys sure the scream came from the grate?" Jason asked,"Because I've had to get my mouthpiece plenty of times out of that thing and theres always been a definite floor."

"Only one way to find out." Eric swung his legs into the grate. He disappeared for a moment, but was visible again from the shoulders up. "There is most definitely a bottom to this hole. And several mouth pieces too..."

A soft ticking sound met the with the ears of the society, confused the looked at each other. "If i didn't know any better, I'd say it was doctor beat." mumbled Julia. Shock rose to the faces of the other horns, as they headed cautiously to the bands practice field.

*~* 

Lorelei looked up into eyes of her captor, a sort of wildness was coming to life in their steely gray depths. Blood trickled from several small cuts on Lorelei's left arm, grinning a horrible grin, Edwin raised the pocket knife again, Lorelei cowered away from him, shutting her eyes shut tightly and waiting for the inevitable blow to come.

It didn't come.

Edwin was no longer looking at her, he was looking up towards the ceiling, a low grating noise could be heard, followed by surprised screams and the cawing of a crow. Edwin made a growling noise, low in his throat."Those bastards just cant leave well enough alone can they?" He looked to Lorelei, "You will stay here or you will feel the affects of my wrath." With that Edwin was gone, so quickly it was as if he had never been there.

_i have to get out of here..._

Lorelei rose, blood streaks drying to black on her arm. On unsteady legs she made her way to the door.

*~*

Once again Holst stopped to lean against a light pole, breath coming in short gasps. A crow flew overhead shrieking loudly. _That's odd for this time of night_. The sidewalk stretched out from him in both directions, the distance never seeming to lessen, only grow. Slipping another pill into his mouth, Holst grimaced, and then swallowed. He continued on his way to the high school.

*~*

Eric looked around. The rest of the horns were standing uneasily on the uneven tufts of grass. The clicking noise had grown to an intensity, and with each loud plink Eric would inwardly flinch. The sound echoed back off of the buildings and made it difficult for the hons to determine the direction it was coming from. Slowly Eric walked into the middle of the field, the horns trailing behind, none of them wanted to be the last one.

Click, Click, Click, Click, Click.

Silence.

"What do we have hear? A fearless leader and his band of followers barely able to hold their bladders." A maniacal laugh echoed over the field, the teens grouped together in the middle unsure of where to look for their new threat. 

*~*

Lorelei trailed her hand along the slimy wall, just as she had so many years ago, but this time she was heading out, not in. The darkness was absolute, and her footsteps crunched, but Lorelei didn't stop to wonder what she was walking on. _I have to get out..._ The tunnel began to narrow down until she was forced to crawl. Hands out in front to feel the way, Lorelei continued until her hands came in contact with a wall. She pushed on it, begging it to give way to the instrument storage room, tears began to run down her cheeks as she remembered.

_Sam set down the nail gun, "Nothing will should be able to come out of that hole any more." He smiled up at her, and then grinning, grabbed her hand and pulled her down into his lap. Lorelei shrieked and then smacked him on the shoulder, she tried to wiggle away but he held on and then his mouth met hers, and she relaxed_

"_I'm so glad it's over Sam..."_

Lorelei pushed against the wall, using as much force as she could in the cramped space. It was no use, Lorelei slumped down and began to cry.

*~*

"What do you want from us?" Edwin grinned as he heard the slight note of desperation in Eric's voice.

"What do I want? What do _I_ want??? Well you should be finding that out shortly..." Edwin slipped out of the shadows and into the sight of the Horns. He heard their surprised gasps as the little light that was available glinted off of the metal stuck in his hands. He watched with delight as the Horns shrank back as he approached, _I can get them all at once now...What would dear old Sam be able to do, days before festival with out any french horns..." _His grin grew larger as he thought of all the hands he would be able to choose from. _When i become normal again, I will make Lorelei love me..._


	11. Monster in the Mirror

**Valves Of Vengeance**

**Chapter 11- Monster in the Mirror**

**By Kim**

Edwin smiled a twisted, sadistic smile at the horns. His trademark smile that sent shivers down their spines. His soulless eyes that ate their souls and drank their blood pierced their skin, ripped apart their veins. And they stood, like a deer in the headlights. Edwin was having a field day. _Take out the leader first- _

        "Excuse me; can you direct me towards the band room?" A frail voice squeaked from behind. Edwin cringed at it. _It can't be… Meddling, meddling Holst! _

        "DON'T TOUCH THEM!" Holst wheezed upon recognizing Edwin's horribly mangled hands. Edwin paid no mind to him. His eyes were still set on his prey. 

        The horns looked hopefully at Holst, inside they all knew they were done for, an old, ailing man couldn't save them from the terror that faced them.

        Edwin struck.

        He got Eric in the temple with his mellophone hand, knocking him to his knees. Eric however came back with a blow to Edwin's ribs. Edwin winced in pain and swung his hand in another direction, flailing, enraged to hit someone. And he succeeded. He got Julia square between the eyes (she was rather short). However, this was not enough for him. He reached into his shoe and pulled out a pocket knife. Fortunately he was caught off guard by Eric and Jason, who threw themselves onto him, trying to hurt him in any way they could. Julia shakily got to her feet and saw Holst standing there, wide-eyed. _Why isn't he helping?_ Her mind cried. Suddenly… her mind stopped crying. Her back screamed. While staring at Holst, lost in wonderment, Edwin had managed to get the knife into her. 

        As if in slow motion, she fell… Sinking into the cold abyss known as death.

Holst did nothing… He just stared. 

        A gunshot rang out.

        Everyone's gaze turned to Sam and the fifth member of the Live Horn Society, Floogs (He played flugelhorn, but he was accepted by the horns anyway). Sam aimed his pistol at Edwin. In a panic, Edwin threw Jason and Eric off of him and ran.

        Sam then gave chase on foot, leaving the horns and Holst behind. His mind was set on one thing. Revenge.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

        Lorelei dried her eyes and made her way back to where she was being kept by Edwin. There was no point in getting in more trouble for being found missing. But then, she noticed something. On her way back she saw that there was a door hidden behind a shelf full of old dusty books. She grasped the rusted door knob and pulled on it. After three yanks, the door creaked open. The smell of perfume suddenly flooded Lorelei's senses. She entered the door and continued through the new cavern until she came to another door. She opened that door as well… then suddenly… she screamed.

        It was a scream of relief! She was out! The door led to the dance room closet! She made her way through the sequined costumes and into civilization! Life at last!

        "Oh my god." She gasped. 

Staring back at her was a ghastly figure.

She was staring into the wall-sized mirror of the dance room.

But, was it really her?

        Lorelei approached the mirror, shivering and shaking. She took her index finger and touched it. A sudden jolt of realization buzzed through her finger causing her to pull it back in recoil. She was the monster in the mirror.

        Her face, her arms, everything scarred. Stitches ran down her face and across her brow. Her hair was long and matted. Her skin was pale and dress tattered. The only color visible on her was the smudged eye makeup that had been so painstakingly administered by the morgue's beautician. The dress she wore was the one she was to be buried in… She then saw that herself and Edwin were not so different…

In appearance at least.


End file.
